Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Cougs Snag Speedster

On Wednesday, Cougfan reported Robert Jiles, a wide receiver with a sub 4.5 second 40-yard dash time, had committed to the Cougars.
Jiles finished his junior year with 29 receptions for nearly 500 yards and six touchdowns.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Tuel to Start?

There are reports freshman quarterback Jeff Tuel, who made his collegiate debut last week against USC, may start this weekend against Oregon.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Does Everybody Know What Time it is?

TUEL TIME! That's right, true freshman Jeff Tuel made his collegiate debut Saturday against USC, and despite a 27-6 loss, the Cougars have a lot to be proud about.

USC was a 45.5 point favorite going into Saturday's game, and with the way the first quarter went it looked like the Cougars were going to see a repeat of last year's dismantling. After taking a quick 13-0 lead, the Trojans attempted an, in my opinion, unsportsmanlike onside kick and recovered the ball. They scored again and advanced their lead to 20-0.

However, in the remaining 48 minutes of the game, the Cougars held USC to just seven more points, thanks in large to two goal line stops by the Cougar defense on fourth down.

True freshman Jeff Tuel relieved redshirt sophomore Marshall Lobbestael at quarterback halfway into the second quarter. Lobbestael was 2-of-9 for only 14 yards, while Tuel stole the show (and our hearts) finishing 14-of-22 for 130 yards. Those numbers are good for a freshman in his first game, but against USC? Those numbers are spectacular. Tuel continuously moved the ball down the field, and the three-and-outs that Coug fans have grown used to were replaced by first down after first down. He's got a cannon of an arm, quick feet, and great judgment. Tuel will be the difference this season, and I can't wait to see him and the Cougars take on Locker and the Huskies in the Apple Cup.

That said, the Cougs made a few big mistakes, including a missed field goal, a missed PAT, an interception in the end zone, and a fumble that ended in a touchdown for USC. If those were successful scores and you take away that fumble, the score would be 20-17 which may have given the Cougars enough momentum to upset the Trojans. But that's just wishful thinking.

In other news, Stanford sent the Huskies crashing back to Earth on Saturday in a 34-14 victory. Washington, who beat an injured USC last week, is now 2-2 (1-1 Pac-10).

Friday, September 25, 2009

Injured Cougs Face an Angry USC

The Cougs, coming off a win against Southern Methodist University last week, will play the No. 12 USC Trojans tomorrow in Los Angeles.
After a devastating 16-13 loss against an unranked University of Washington last Saturday, USC is not likely to show any mercy against the 1-2 Cougars. The Trojans were without freshman quarterback Matt Barkley and senior safety Taylor Mays in the game against UW, which ultimately lead to their defeat.

The Cougs do not have luck on their side, as they have been hampered by injuries all season. Starting running back James Montgomery is out for the season after suffering a leg injury last week against SMU. Starting right guard B.J. Guerra will be out for 4-6 weeks, starting left guard Zack Williams for at least another week, and starting defensive end Kevin Kooyman may be out for two more weeks.

On the Trojan side, Barkley, who was out with a shoulder injury, has been named the starting QB for the game tomorrow. The decision about Mays, however, has yet to be made.

Redshirt sophomore Marshall Lobbestael will be the starting quarterback for WSU, but true freshman Jeff Tuel may rotate in and make his college debut against the Trojans.

Although WSU has a bit of momentum after their win against SMU, they're facing an angry Trojans team on the road. The Cougs have a 8-56-4 all-time record against USC. Unless they get a miracle handed to them, the Cougars are likely to drop to 1-3 (0-2 Pac-10).

Monday, September 21, 2009

Revenge is so very Sweet

The Washington State University women's soccer team roped in the University of Texas Friday, shutting down the Longhorns in a rematch of last year's first round NCAA Championships.
After blanking the Longhorns 4-0 in Austin, the Cougs continued their Texas roadshow by blasting Stephen F. Austin University 5-0 on Sunday.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

That Looked Awfully Familiar

Now where have we seen that before?Like last year's Apple Cup, the Cougars were dominated Saturday for most of the game. Fans left early, and just when all hope was lost, the Washington State football team came out with an improbable victory.

Southern Methodist University doubled the Cougs' total in yardage, and held a 19 minute advantage in time-of-possession. But sometimes stats don't tell the whole story.

SMU (2-1) compiled over 504 yards in offense, but even though quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 424 yards, it was his four interceptions that sparked the Cougar comeback. Two of Mitchell's interceptions were returned for touchdowns, both with SMU driving, and it was his fourth interception that gave the Cougars the ball in overtime. Once the home team gained possession, it kicked a field goal, giving WSU (1-2) its first win of the year.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Other than Football, Great Weekend for WSU Athletics

Amidst the blunder that was the Cougar football game Saturday, it was still a great weekend for WSU athletics.The women's volleyball team remained undefeated and women's soccer pulled out an impressive 2-1 victory Thursday over 18th ranked BYU.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Wulff’s Reign Rides Upon this Weekend

The Paul Wulff era of WSU football likely rides upon the outcome of this weekend’s game against Southern Methodist University.A win might buy Wulff more time to rebuild his reeling program. But a loss, to an opponent still recovering from the NCAA "death penalty," would all but ensure a winless second season for the beleaguered Cougar coach, and the subsequent termination of his contract.

The 2-11 squad of yester-year, Wulff's first team at WSU, was blown out by 30 or more points seven times and became so generally pitiful it even held open-tryouts for someone to play quarterback -- unheard of at a Pac-10 school -- after the first and second-string quarterbacks went down in the same game.

This season, which has begun with two blow-out losses, seems to be headed in the same direction. In both games, it was the defense that fell short, allowing an average 38.5 points per game. The offense, a more modest 16.5 points per game, will have to put up Heisman numbers to keep the Cougs in games, though it's a definite improvement from last year's squad which amassed, in one game, just seven yards rushing.

With plenty of three-and-out offensive series to come, punter Reid Forrest, who Saturday reached 5,507 career yards, ninth most in WSU history, appears to have job security. But for how much longer will Wulff be assured a position with the team?

If the Cougs don’t win this Saturday, after the season, it may be athletic director Jim Sterk who is doing the punting.

Friday, September 11, 2009

What to Expect Against Hawai'i

Coming off a 39-13 defeat at home against Stanford, the Washington State football team was in unusually high spirits. With Hawai'i coming to town (or should I say Seattle), revenge is on the Cougars' minds.

Last year, Hawai'i defeated WSU 24-10 in Honolulu, and with the Rainbow Warriors struggling last week against Central Arkansas, this is one of the few games in which WSU is favored.

What remains to be seen entering Saturday's game is how much playing time will be split between Cougar quarterbacks Marshall Lobbestael and Kevin Lopina. Lopina will start because last Saturday he was the leader on the field for all 13 of the Cougars' points.

The Cougar defense will be tested this week against the run-and-shoot Hawai'i offense. Last year Hawai'i quarterback Greg Alexander threw for over 300 yards against the Cougar secondary, and because of Hawai'i's pass happy offense, expect much of the same this year. Alexander also possesses the ability to make plays with this feet. He rushed 90 times last year, and in last week's 25-20 win over Central Arkansas, Alexander ran the ball 16 times.